Rail track with elongated snap-on bearing strip



HVVENTOR FRANK STADELMAN Aug. 9, 1966 F. STADELMAN RAIL TRACK WITHELONGATED SNAP-ON BEARING STRIP Filed Oct. 15, 1965 FlG.l

FIG.2

United States Patent 3,265,192 RAIL TRACK WITH ELONGATED SNAP-0N BEARINGSTRIP Frank Stadelman, Cranford, N.J., assignor to Latendorf ConveyingCorp., Kenilworth, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 15,1965, Ser. No. 496,293 Claims. (Cl. 198204) The present invention dealswith a rail track having mounted thereon elongated snap-on bearingstrips and more particularly with a guide rail track for conveyor beltshaving snap-on bearing strips mounted thereon.

Conveyors of the type contemplated comprise a framework carrying aplurality of freely rotatable rolls spaced from each otherlongitudinally of the frame-work and on which a movable conveyor belt,e.g. an endless belt, travels for the purpose of reducing belt dragwhich would otherwise be particularly objectionable especially in longconveyor lines. In addition to the frame-work and rolls, the conveyor isprovided with laterally spaced guide rails mounted on the frame-workforming a rail track on which the longitudinal marginal end portions ofthe belt ride in frictional contact therewith. The guide rails areprovided so that the belt is maintained in longitudinal or linear travelwithout substantial lateral deviation from a prescribed path which couldotherwise result in the belt becoming dislocated from the rolls or theframe-work. Since long conveyor lines are often directed along curvedroutes, or routes which do not follow a straight line, it will beapparent that a guide rail means is essential to maintain the travel ofthe belt along its prescribed path. However, since each oppositelongitudinal end portion of the belt is in movable frictional contactwith a guide rail there is considerable scoring and gouging of the railsby abrasion and sometimes to the extent that the gouging introduceundesirable catching of the belt, or resistance to belt travel, orfraying of the lateral edges of the belt. The abrasion is particularlypronounced when the rails are made of a light metal such as aluminum,

Therefore, it has been recognized that the guide rails couldadvantageously be provided with hard bearing surfaces, or surfacesresistant to abrasion by the conveyor belt. However, the provision ofsuch bearing surfaces presents a problem since the rails, especiallywhen composed of metal, expand and contract either because of the heatgenerated by the friction of the belt under prolonged usage or when theconveyor is located at least partly in zones of'elevated temperature.When the bearing material is mounted on the rails and secured thereto byfixed securing means, e.g. bolts or screws, the bearing material, whichis usually of a different composition from that of the rails, is subjectto longitudinal stresses which tends to buckle the bearing material, orintroduces a rippling of the bearing material. In extreme cases, thebearing material is subject to cracking and rupture.

The present invention contemplates a solution of such problem andprovides for a composite rail means for a rail track including a bearingsurface in the form of a strip material of substantially hook-likecross-section which has a substantially hard bearing surface and whichis snapable over the rail by virtue of a snapable resiliency whereby thebearing strip is maintained on the rail without the necessity ofsecuring by means of fixed securing means. In such case the rail ispermitted to expand and contract under frictional movement relative tothe bearing strip substantially without any longitudinal buckling orrippling stresses on the bearing strip.

It is an object of the invention to provide a composite rail means for arail track including a bearing surface means which maintains a smoothbearing surface under extended usage, including usage where temperatureconditions are such as to induce expansion and contraction of the rail,without deleteriously affecting the bearing means.

It is another object of the invention to provide a composite rail meansincluding a bearing means which is easily and economically mountable onthe rail means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe description hereinafter following and the drawings forming a parthereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the composite rail track of theinvention,

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view along lines 22 of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 the rail track of the invention comprises apair of rail means or bars 1 and 2 interconnected by a linkage simplyillustrated as a linking rod 3, although it is to be understood thatother conventional linkage means may be employed. The rail means or bars1 and 2 are preferably composed of metal, e.g. aluminum, iron, steel,etc. Each bar 1 and 2 has a cross-section in the shape of an angle,substantially resembling the well-known angle iron configuration, havingan upwardly extending leg'4 and 4, respectively, and laterally extendingleg 5 and 5', respectively, forming a right angle cross-section.Preferably, each bar 1 and 2 is also provided with a depending mountingleg 6 and 6, respectively, for the purpose of interconnecting the rods,as illustrated. While the legs are illustrated as integral with eachother, they may otherwise be separably connected to each other to formtheangle cross-section. A longitudinal portion of each leg 4, 4', 5 and5 adjacent its free marginal longitudinal edge, e.g. marginal edges 7and 7, 8 and 8', is shaped into the form of a head 9, 9, 10 and 10,respectively. Each leg 4, 4, 5 and 5' is provided with a longitudinalextending neck means 11, 11', 12 and 12', respectively, adjacent thehead means.

The bars 1 and 2 are interconnected by a linkage, e.g. linkage rod 3,secured to mounting legs 6 and 6 so that the laterally extending legs 10and 10' face each other providing seats 18 and 13' between upwardlyextending legs 4 and 4'.

The legs 4, 4', 5 and 5' are each equipped with hearing means providedby an elongated bearing strip' 14, 14', 1 5 and 15', respectively. Eachbearing strip comprises a substantially flat hard outer surface 16, 16',17 and 17', respectively, along its length adjacent one longitudinaledge thereof. The longitudinal edges of strips 14, 14', 1'5 and 15', areidentified as edges 18, 18, IQ, and 19', respectively. The strips 14,14, 15 and 15 are further provided with a longitudinal portion 20, 20',21 and 21', respectively, along the length thereof and includingrespectively the other longitudinal edges 22, 22, 23 and 23 thereof. Thelongitudinal portions 20, 20', 21 and 21' each diverge from the flatsurfaces of their respective strips along a path positioning theirrespective other longitudinal edges 22, 22', 23 and 23' to face towardthe under surfaces of the strips thereby forming a strip ofsubstantially hook-like cross-section as illustrated by FIGURE 2.

The bearing strips are preferably composed of a resin material such asTeflon or nylon as a matrix impregnated with a metal or metal oxide orgraphite which imparts hardness to the strip bearing surfaces whilepermitting the diverged portions thereof to have a snapable resiliencyeven under substantially high temperatures.

Having provided the rail means and bearing strips above-described, thestrips are mounted on the legs 4, 4', 5 and 5' by forceably snapping thediverged longitudinal end portions over the head means with the divergedlongitudinal edges positioned adjacent the neck means. In this manner,the snapable diverged longitudinal portions encompass, contain orotherwise embrace the head means. In mounting the strips over the headmeans the strips are positioned, for example, so that the flat surface16 of strip 14 is adjacent the flat surface 17 of strip 15 and formingan angle therebetween. In this position a conveyor belt 24 may travelbetween the composite rail means or bars 1 and 2 with both its oppositelongitudinal edges and its undersurface in frictional hearing contactwith bearing surfaces, as illustrated.

Since the bearing strips are snapably mounted over the head means ofeach leg, the bars 1 and 2 are free to contract and expandlongitudinally relative to the strips without deleteriously affectingthe smoothness of the hearing surfaces. Should it be necessary toreplace or adjust the strips relative to the rail means or bars, that isaccomplished in the simple manner of forceably pulling away the stripsfrom the head means and replacing or adjusting the strips.

FIGURE 3 is a modification of FIGURE 2 in that the bar 25 is providedwith angular heads 26 and 27 rather than the curved heads illustrated byFIGURES 1 and 2, and the strips 28 and 29 are provided with divergedlongitudinal portions 30 and 31 which are bent rather than curved, tofollow a path positioning the longitudinal edges adjacent the necks 34and 3 5.

Various modifications of the invention are contemplated within the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rail track comprising a pair of composite laterally spacedinterconnected rail means in the form of elongated bars, each bar havinga longitudinal portion adjacent a longitudinal marginal edge in the formof a head means, a longitudinally extending neck means on the baradjacent the head means, a plurality of elongated strips each having asubstantially flat hard outer surface along its length adjacent onelongitudinal edge thereof, a longitudinal portion along the length ofthe strip including the other longitudinal edge diverging from the flatsurface along a path positioning the said other longitudinal edge toface toward an under surface of the strip opposite the flat surfacethereby forming a strip of substantially hook-like cross-section, saiddiverged portion having a snapable resiliency suflicient to snap overthe head means of one of said bars, the strips each being mounted oneach of said bars with the diverged portion thereof containing the headmeans and the diverged edge being positioned adjacent the neck means.

2. A rail track comprising a pair of composite laterally spacedinterconnected rail means in the form of elongated bars having across-section in the shape of an angle, each bar having an upwardlydirected leg connected to a laterally extending leg forming the anglecross-section, each leg having a longitudinal portion adjacent amarginal longitudinal edge in the form of a head means, a longitudinallyextending neck means on the bar adjacent the head means, a plurality ofelongated strips each having a substantially flat hard outer surfacealong its length adjacent one longitudinal edge thereof, a longitudinalportion along the length of the strip including the other longitudinaledge diverging from the fiat surface along a path positioning the saidother longitudinal edge to face in the direction of an under surface ofthe strip opposite the fiat surface thereby forming a strip ofsubstantially hook-like cross-section, said diverged portion having asnapable resiliency sufficient to snap over the head means of one ofsaid legs, the strips each being mounted on each of said legs with thediverged portion thereof containing the head means and the diverged edgebeing positioned adjacent the neck means.

3. A rail track according to claim 1, 'wherein the diverged portion iscurved to face the said other longitudinal edge toward saidundersurface.

4. A rail track according to claim 1, wherein the diverged portionfollows an angular path to face the said other longitudinal edge towardsaid undersurface.

5. A rail track according to claim 1, wherein the head means of thelaterally spaced bars are directed toward each other.

6. A rail track according to claim 2, wherein the diverged portion iscurved to face the said other longi tudinal edge in the direction ofsaid undersurface.

7. A rail track according to claim 2, wherein the diverged portionfollows an angular path to face the said other longitudinal edge in thedirection of said undersurface.

8. A rail track according to claim 2, wherein the head means on thelaterally extending legs of the laterally spaced bars are directedtoward each other.

9. A rail track according to claim 8, wherein an elongated strip ismounted on each of the upwardly and laterally directed legs of each ofthe bars with the flat hard outer surfaces thereof adjacent each otherforming an angle therebetween.

.10. A rail track according to claim 9, wherein the angle is a rightangle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,747,725 5/1956Hatch et a1. 198195 2,969,870 1/1961 Pulver 198-495 3,198,319 8/1965Blume 198204 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

M. L. AJEMAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A RAIL TRACK COMPRISING A PAIR OF COMPOSITE LATERALLY SPACEDINTERCONNECTED RAIL MEANS IN THE FORM OF ELONGATED BARS, EACH BAR HAVINGA LONGITUDINAL PORTION ADJACENT A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING NECK MEANS ONTHE BAR ADA LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING NECK MEANS ON THE BAR ADJACENT THEHEAD MEANS, A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED STRIPS EACH HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLYFLAT HARD OUTER SURFACE ALONG ITS LENGTH ADJACENT ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGETHEREOF, A LONGITUDINAL PORTION ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE STRIP INCLUDINGTHE OTHER LONGITUDINAL EDGE DIVERGING FROM THE FLAT SURFACE ALONG A PATHPOSITIONING THE SAID OTHER LONGITUDINAL EDGE TO FACE TOWARD IN UNDERSURFACE OF THE STRIP OPPOSITE THE FLAT SURFACE THEREBY FORMING A STRIPOF SUBSTANTIALLY HOOK-LIKE CROSS-SECTION, SAID DIVERGED PORTION HAVING ASNAPABLE RESILIENCY SUFFICIENT TO SNAP OVER THE HEAD MEANS OF ONE OFSAID BARS, THE STRIPS EACH BEING MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID BARS WITH THEDIVERGED PORTION THEREOF CONTAINING THE HEAD MEANS AND THE DIVERGED EDGEBEING POSITIONED ADJACENT THE NECK MEANS.